Mechanical piano-player.



No. 374.76mv

PATENTEJ DEG. 2451907 A.-G..GULB RYANs-EN. MECHANICAL PIA-N0 PLAYER,

-ABPLIQATION FILED 1"f.1a.'19.'1906.v

SHEET SHEET 1.-

lizzie/1250iq "UNITED STATES AXEL e. GULBRANSEN, orvsrcAMonE, ILLINOIS.

PATENT OFFICE.

imcHA'NrcAL PIANO-PLAYER.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

l Patented Dec.' 24, 1907.

-Application filed Fehruary19.1906 Serial No. 301,964.

Illinois, have inventeda lcertain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Piano-Players, of which the following is a full, clear, e011-,

oise', andexact description, reference -being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification."

My invention relates to mechanical musicvl instrumentsand has for its particular object `improved constructionand arrangement of the pneumatic valve action therefor.

My invention is. particularly adaptable to pneumatic valve actions placed at the interior `of pianos or organs. 'In instruments of this kind, particularly pianos, itis very desirable that this valve action and apparatus be as lcompactas possible and arranged in' such position that the piano is entirely free for'tuningor adjusting purposes, and it is' also desirable that the primary pneumatijcs -ment' and repairs.

be connected as'v directly as ossible withthe striking hammers of the pia o, and also that these pneumatics with their valveactions be` readily accessible and removable from the in strument for purposesof inspection,` adjust,-I

According to my invention each primary pneumatic and itsvalve controlling mechanism is in a unitary structure, each structure being individually removably secured to amain mounting boardvhich forms the rear wall ofthe main air chamber, Athis air chamber-running lengthwise of the piano directly to the lrear of the -keys so that the entire pneumatic acti on is disposed below the front upper panel board of the piano thus leaving the upper part of the piano entirely ,free for adjustment and other purposes. Themov.- able part of' each pneumatic is also connected directly with the corresponding abstract stem or rod leading i'ro'm the rear end ofthe corresponding piano key'y to the hammer. 'lhe construction and. arrangement of the valve mechanism is also improved by my-in Ivention and other. arrangements introduced which-make all parts very accessible, thus allowing quick adjustment or repairs, and the details of my invention will appear better by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end view of the air chamber frame withthepneumaticA mechanism attached, one ofthe pnemnatics' and its valve l Aaction an'd thel corresponding upper part of 3 is a rear view of a section of the action mechanism showing the connection thereof a section o the neumatic mechanism, the

moved to illustrate the arrangement of the valv'e., l i. l Y

The aire-chamber va is rectangular and ex`- tends lengthwisev along the front of the'piano directl below the ledge'l and directly-'behind: t e wall 2 of the'piano structure, and lthis chamber is formed by ,the rear-wall 3, al top wall 4, a lower -wall 5f and .the `front wall or cover 6, this cover being hingedat' one end 7 and provided with locking means such as the piano frame ber.

To the 'anism comprising a body wallor block l9 yto which is hinged the movable part'. 10 of the vbellows 11, a spring 12 being suitably arranged tending. to dlstend this bellows. .'In thelfr'on't end of theblock 9 is 'a cylindrical diaphragm 15, which diaphragm divides Athis chamber, vinto an upper section .16 and a nicating through a passa eway' or channel 18 extending through the-.b ook 9, which channel communicates with .another channel 19 v'extending through-the rear' wall 3 of the air chamber.- Directly above the compartment 1 3 and mounted on the block 9 is the valve or Achai'nber 21k communicating with the chamber 13 ythrough the cylindrical'opening 22 which is of smaller diameter than the compartment 21. -This compartment `21 con- 4ordinary wood screw engaging through with the ke rods, and Fig.' 4 is a top view of l j rearfwall 3 are secured the various snmlar pneumatic mechanisms, each `meehj lower section 17, the lower section commu-'f block 2() having a cylindrical compartment nects with the channel 23 which communiof the inclosing piano frame and key m'ec anl 'of a-section of the action mechanism. Fig.,

hooks 8 atithe top,' whereby upon removal of l v art 2 I'the cover may be opened to revealt e interior of the air cham- 1 sasr chamber 13 having the annular shoulder 14, I

about the edge of which is glued the valve A valvelwhich is locked thereto' by afleatlfi fing air under Yatmos heric pressure upon waslelf'f; 29, the lower. end ofthe stem or screw engaging the leather washer which is glued to the diaphragm 15. l The chamber 16 above the diaphragm connects throu h channel 31 with the air chamber a and t. e opening 26 leads tothe atmosphere.

The valve -may be formed, as shown, consisting of the top plate 327 which may be of wood or other ri id material, and of the lower half 33 of felt, and a layer of thin lweather'34 may enga e about the felt to be glued at its edge to t e edge of the top disk 33. The valve thus formed may be guided and restrained between the guide pins 35, as shown, or these pins may be omitted and 'f the valve, left to adjust itself into proper seating to close the outlet openings. Each of thechannels 19 for'the various pneumatic mechanisms connects through a separate hose or other conductor with the tracker board in a well known manner7 and the lower, section 17 below the diaphragm also connects with the air vchamber through a limited passageway 36 which may be conveniently 4provided bygluing or fastening a disk 37 of celluloid or other material before .compartments are normally connected with the air chamber, the up er compartment .being connected through t e passageway 31 @and the lower compartment through the i 'responding '7; channel 18 and opening 36. As the music sheet travels over the tracker board air under atmospheric pressure is admitted to the corchannels and this air rushes through t corresponding channels 16 and 18 to the lower compartments 17, and as the 'upper compartment 16 is still under reduced pressure in the channels 18 and 19 and in the comes of the normal reduced ressure andy equalized'. Owing toth" `vsma lness of the opening 36 and to the .=rapidity ofthe inrushthe leather gives more or less when the valve l head is thrust upwardly the valve action becomes'. cushioned and much more elastic than if this wall were of rigid material such as wood, and there i-s also no noise.

Another feature of my invention lies in the direct connection of the bellows part 10 with the abstract stems or rods'38 leading to the piano hammers, an abutment piece 39 being glued or secured to each of these stems to be directly engaged by the projection 40 extending from the bellows part 10. Owing to this direct connection there is very little chance for lost motion.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the compact and novel arrangement of the pneumatic mechanisms, each of these mechanisms, as before-stated, comprisin only the bellowsparts and the valve bloc secured thereto, and these mech anisms are secured at their ends to the rear wall 3 of the air chamber by means o f screws 41. As the rods 38 are usually equally spaced and in a straight line, the pneumatic mechanisms must be arranged correspondingly, and I therefore arrange them in three rows ,as shown, each row being oflsetso that the planes of the projections 40 are equally spaced.

If any of the mechanisms become defective or need adjustment the front part 2 of thel lsupporting structure and upon removal of the front panels of the piano the entire pneumatic player mechanism may be withdrawn from the instrument. l f

I thus provide a very simplified and compact arrangement of the primary pneumatic mechanisms anda direct connection thereof.

with the striking hammers. Each of the primary mechanisms isa complete individual structure which can be bodily removed from used with equal advantage in slde piano or organ players.

the supporting w'all without in any way in' i I claim as new and desire to secure by Let'` ters Patent:

1.` In a mechanically operated piano, the l combination with,l the abstract rods of the piano, of a vertical lat main air chamber, a plurality of pneumatic mechanisms,v each mechanism being, a unitarykstructu're and comprising a main mounting primary pneumatic valve mechanism mounted inthe block, each unitary structure being secured to the rear wall of the main air chamber by means ofscrews insertedfrom the front through the rear wall of the main chamber'whereby each structure may be. readily andl independently removed, said" pneumatic mechanisms being arranged in lvertical and horizontal rows and each havinggoper.-l ative connection with an abstract rod of the piano. y

` 2.' In a mechanically operated'pianm the combination` withthe abstract rods of 'the piano of a main air chamber having a rear wall and; -a front hinged wall, pneumatic mechanisms arranged 1n vertical and horizontal rows in front of the foot of `the abstract rods of the piano, a mounting block for each pneumatic mechanism, primary valve mechanism disposed in and on said mounting block, actuating bellows supported below the block and having direct operative connection with one of the abstract" rods, each unitary mechanism -being secured from the rear wall of the main air chamber by means of screws inserted from the front through said wall upon. opening of the hinged front wall of. the chamber.

3. In a mechanically operated piano, the vcombination with a main air chamber-haw ing the rear vertical wall 3 and thel hinged cover 6, va mounting block 9 extending from block, actu-` ating bellows secured below the block and tuating bellows 11 supported from the under and secured to the rear wall 3 by means of screws 41 passing through the wall 3, an acside of the-mounting block, an abstract rod for the piano, an abutment on said abstract rod, an extension 40 lfrom the bellows for engaging with said abutment, andprimary controlling valve mechanism supported Aonf the mounting block, saidmounting block, valve mechanism and bellows forming a com- 1pract unitary structure 'readily removable om the supporting wall 3 `upon withdrawal of screws 41. i p

4. In a mechanically operated piano, the combination of a vertical, fiat, main air chamber extend-ing across .the piano, yab-` stract rods at the rear of the piano, pneumatic'mechanisms sup ort-ed from the rear wall of the main air c amber, a mounting block for each mechanism, actuating bel-v lows supported below the mounting block and having direct connection with one of the abstractl rods, valve mechanism for con-v l .trolling theloperation of the bellows, avalv'e chamber for the valve mechanism apassageway leading from the valve chamber to the mam air chamber, a disk within the'mam air chamber applied over the end of the passavev Way'for each pneumatic mechanism, an a .pin hole. through each disk communicating with the corresponding passageway.

5. In a mechanically operated piano, the combination with a single, flat, main air chamber extending across the piano at the front thereof, abstract rods for the piano 'to the rear of the chamber, pneumatic mechanisms extending rearwardly from and removably-secured to the rear wall of the maintain chamber, each pneumatic mechanism being in the formof a compact unitary structure and comprising axmoun'tingi block, valve mechanism @and A'actuating bellows, each act'uating bellows' having direct connection with the corresponding abstract rod.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe.

my namev this 117th day of February A. D.

AXEL G, GrULBRANSEN. Witnesses:

CHARLEs J. SCHMIDT, LEONARD W. NovANDER. 

